


Shimmer of Spider Silk

by shadowblade_tara



Series: Spiderweb [2]
Category: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Discussions of past violence, Found Family, Gen, Identity Reveal, Mental Link, discussions of past character death, jefferson already knows, something of the like anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-23 20:57:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20221681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowblade_tara/pseuds/shadowblade_tara
Summary: Jefferson Davis is not stupid.  He can read the signs.Or, the Spider-gang through Jefferson's eyes.





	Shimmer of Spider Silk

**Author's Note:**

> You know, when I wrote Six Strands, it wasn't supposed to turn into a series. Oh well. I'm not complaining.

Jefferson Davis is a lot of things. Stupid has never been one of them. Neither has unobservant. 

He’s a cop. Being stupid or unobservant in this line of work can get you killed (although he’s met a few cops that test that theory). All of which is to say that it takes an insanely short period of time for him to figure out who, exactly, this new Spiderman is.

Standing in the collider, staring at the small, black-clad figure with the spray-painted spider on his chest, he can make two clear conclusions. 

One, this probably the same kid that was hunched over Aaron’s still form in the alley. They’re about the same size, and this costume has the look of being homemade – or at least home-altered, from what he can see. 

Two, Miles would love that costume. It’s just his style.

That last thought is probably why he starts yelling encouragement. Because that kid is small enough, _young enough_, with just the right spunk and style – it’s like watching Miles fight this monster.

Then outside – the hug – the _“I love you”_ – that’s more than enough to set his teeth on edge. “And look behind you!”

He does – and there’s Fisk, strung up between two buildings like a bug on a web, with a note pinned to his shirt.

Even from this distance, that’s an art style Jefferson recognizes.

Oh. 

Oh, no.

/----------/

Of course, the first thing he does is tell Rio. Now that was a hell of a conversation.

He comes home, wraps Rio in a hug, and just flat-out says it.

“Miles is Spiderman now.”

She freezes in his arms. For a moment, he thinks the silence will drag on forever. Then, she starts muttering under her breath in Spanish. He only catches the occasional word, but from what he can understand, absolutely none of it is polite. He just holds her until she winds down.

“What do we do?”

“I don’t know. We can’t stop him.” He sighs. “I’ll keep an eye out on him while I’m on duty. Hopefully he’ll come clean soon enough.”

She nods against his chest.

When Miles comes home the next day from school, Jefferson hugs him as tight as he can. His son doesn’t question the odd display of affection. He simply returns the embrace with as much force as the little Spiderman did the previous night.

/-----------/

The first time he comes across Spiderman in the alley, he thinks his son might be injured. It’s all he can do not to blow the game right then and there, but then he realizes Miles is _flickering out of reality_ and well – that’s a whole new level of terrifying. 

Miles dismisses it as a panic attack. That’s what makes Jefferson decide to give him his address. He’s been trying to find a way to let Spiderman know that _home_ is still safe, no matter the mask. This is it.

He supposes he could have just given up the game then, but if it really is a panic attack, the last thing the kid needs is the added stress of a blown secret.

He just hopes Miles comes clean before something really bad happens.

/----------/

Miles doesn’t.

Instead, he practically drops from the sky, body flickering in and out of reality again, and Jefferson has to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the kid. He quickly gets out of the cruiser, gently picks Miles up, and places him in the back before speeding off. A quick phone call to Rio to let her know what’s going on, and he’s off. 

There’s nothing they can do. Jefferson doesn’t even know what’s causing the glitching, much less how to _stop it_. Not for the first time when it comes to his son, he’s completely helpless.

Then the others show up, and the youngest of them fixes the problem with a simple _goober_ of all things.

Still, his son is safe, and that’s really all Jefferson can ask for.

/------------/

The spiders stay.

Jefferson watches them interact with a sharp eye. Miles is Spiderman, and these people are also spiders. If he’s going to understand this new aspect of his son’s life, he’s going to need to understand all of it. He’s prepared for a massive headache.

Actually, it’s pretty easy to grasp.

Miles is treated as the youngest because he just recently came into his powers. From what Jefferson has gathered from fragmented stories, Peter B. was the one to sort-of mentor him through using his new powers. 

Peter has been at this the longest. So has Noir. Those two are basically the dads of the group. Peni is treated as slightly older than Miles, Gwen older than her.

He still hasn’t figured out how Ham fits in. But he does, and that’s really all that counts.

Actually, out of the entire group, the easiest dynamic to figure out is Peter and Miles.

By night three, he’s gotten used enough to the group to talk to them without Miles being present or awake. This night, the group has somehow managed to fall asleep on the pull-out, Noir stretched out diagonal with Ham at his head, Miles tucked to one side, Gwen to the other, and Peni using Noir as a mattress. 

Peter stands in the doorway, watching the group with arms crossed over his chest and an expression on his face that cuts Jefferson to the core. Jefferson walks up to him and hands him a cup of coffee. Peter takes it.

“Thanks.”

Jefferson nods. “You plan on sleeping tonight?” Peter just shakes his head. Jefferson continues. “Noir took shift last night, right?” A nod this time. “You think he might glitch again?”

This time Peter flinches, hands clenching into fists, and Jefferson just nods. “You know, I’ve seen that look on people before – the one you got right now. Usually it’s when someone winds up in the hospital because of an accident. There’s nothing to fight – no real cause, just shitty luck – so there’s nothing they can do to help make it better. You know?”

Peter utters a shaky laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.”

Jefferson takes a drink of coffee. “You haven’t known Miles long to be treating him like he’s yours. That a spider thing, or a you thing?”

Now _that’s_ one hell of a reaction. Peter makes an aborted motion somewhere between anger and guilt and almost spills his coffee. “I’m not trying to replace you.” he says, voice soft and strained. “You’re a great dad.”

Interesting way to phrase it. Not because Miles is attached, but because Peter himself can see that Jefferson cares for his own kid. Implying that Peter would step in and replace him in an instant if he thought Jefferson failed that in any way.

That’s actually a comforting thing to know. Still, he shakes his head. “Despite how it’s been, I’m pretty secure in my position as dad.” he says a touch dryly, and it startles a laugh out of the other man. “Besides, no matter how much Aaron and I weren’t talking, we did basically co-father Miles. I’m used to it.” 

It’s an invitation, and the other man knows it. Peter’s gaze finally snaps away from the sleeping spiders and locks on to Jefferson. Whatever he’s looking for, he must find it, because the first honest smile of the night crosses his face. “I – I appreciate that.” he says quietly. “Always thought I’d be a shit dad.”

“Not from what I’ve seen. You don’t have kids?”

“No. She wanted them, but – well, you can’t do this gig for that long – the hell am I talking about, you’re a cop, you know exactly what I mean.”

Jefferson finds himself nodding, because yeah, he knows. “If Rio wasn’t already pregnant with Miles when I went into the academy, we probably never would have had him.” he admits. “The world is a scary place out there, and kids just can’t protect themselves.” Peter nods mutely. “I am kind of surprised you didn’t stop him.”

Peter actually smiles at that. “I did. Webbed the kid to a chair to keep him from getting his fool self killed. He wasn’t ready.”

“What changed?”

“Don’t know. He hasn’t said, and I haven’t gotten the chance to ask.” Peter says with a shrug. “One minute I’m leaving the kid behind because he has absolutely no control over his powers, the next he’s swinging into the collider and saving us all.” His gaze slides back to Miles, and his smile turns fond. “I have never been so proud of anyone before.”

There’s some shuffling from the pull-out. Noir stretches out with a small grunt. Ham responds to that by pushing himself closer and using Noir’s shoulder as a pillow. Peni just snuggles closer into Noir’s chest. Gwen and Miles similarly push in, tightening the pile. Miles turns just a bit, cracking one eye open. He tilts his head in question. Peter merely shakes his head and makes a shooing motion with his hand. Miles nods and closes his eyes again.

Jefferson blinks. “What was that?”

“He wanted to know if I was joining the spider-pile or not.” Peter replies. “I told him to go back to sleep.”

Jefferson arches an eyebrow. “Neither of you spoke.”

“Yeah, we haven’t quite figured that out yet.” Peter admits. “That kinda started – geez, I don’t know when. I know I noticed it when the glitching started.”

There’s a brief pause.

“I’m guessing that’s not a normal spider-thing? A – a mental connection?”

“How would we know? There’s only ever been one Spider.” Peter just gives a one-armed shrug. “We all thought we were alone, until we met each other. When we realized Miles had literally just been dropped into this mess, we knew we could make it easier on him. He didn’t have to figure it out on the fly like we did.”

They fall silent, drinking coffee and watching the group sleep. There’s something dark in Peter’s eyes, but Jefferson leaves him to his thoughts.

/-----------/

He wakes up the next morning and comes back to the living room. Hushed voices make him stop before he’s noticed. Miles and Peter.

“You’re wrong, you know.” Miles, voice quiet and surer than Jefferson has ever heard it. Peter makes a scoffing sound. “You are.”

“I’m wrong about a lot of things, you’re gonna – hey!”

“Stop doing that. We hate it when you do that.”

Jefferson decides to risk it and move forward a few steps so he can see what’s going on. Miles sits on the edge of the pull-out, glaring up at Peter, who’s rubbing his shoulder sullenly. The others are still asleep, but Jefferson thinks that Noir, at least, is probably faking it.

Peter finally just sighs. “Okay, okay. What am I wrong about?”

“Last night. You were thinking that you didn’t do a very good job with me. I had to figure it out on my own anyway.”

“It’s not nice to eavesdrop – “

“Hard not to when you’re broadcasting.” Miles cuts him off. “Man, you’re the reason I figured things out as fast as I did. You and Dad and u – and Uncle Aaron.” The name sends a full-body flinch through Miles and Jefferson, even if his son can’t see him. 

“What did I do?” 

Miles just shrugs. “It’s a leap of faith. That’s all it is.” Peter huffs a laugh at that, and Miles just grins. “Dad came by after you guys left. He told me some things – you know, personal stuff – but he said that I had a spark, and it’s mine, right? _It’s mine._ So when I took the leap of faith – “

“You had to do it your way.” Peter says with a small sigh.

“Yeah, basically. So I did.”

Peter gives him an unimpressed look. “I webbed you to a chair.”

That grin turns impish, and Jefferson almost groans. He knows that look. “Well, Dad wasn’t being literal, but the venom strike _is_ a spark, right?” Peter is actually starting to laugh, and Miles’ grin just gets wider. “And it’s _mine_, so yeah, it better do what I say.”

The others are starting to wake up, so Jefferson decides to make his presence known. Miles looks up at him, still grinning. “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey. What’s a venom strike?”

“Eavesdropping runs in the family.” Peter mutters, but there’s no heat in the words. Jefferson just gives him a look before returning his attention to Miles. 

The boy just holds up his hand. A second later, Jefferson can see electricity sparking along his fingers and in his eyes. Just as quick as he summons it, it fades away.

“I’m a walking taser.” he says.

Jefferson just stares at him for a moment. Finally, he just gives up and walks into the kitchen.

“Remind me to never sneak up on you.”

Miles is almost crying with laughter. Jefferson just smiles.

/----------/

The spiders start to go home after that – or rather, they return to their own dimensions for a few hours at a time, to check in with the people who might be missing them. At least, Gwen and Peni do. Peter, Noir, and Ham don’t really have parents the same way the spiderlings (as Noir affectionately calls the kids) do, so they don’t leave as quickly. When they do leave, their check-ins are even shorter, just making sure nothing is going to hell without them there.

For about thirty minutes that day, Jefferson has Miles to himself. It’s his off day, he’s called Miles out of school (claiming the boy has the flu, and the scandalized gasp from his son almost breaks him into laughter on the phone), and Rio is covering for her coworker at the hospital. The others are gone, at least for a moment.

Miles sits on the kitchen counter, swinging his feet while he rubs at the goober. Jefferson frowns just a bit. “Is it bothering you?”

“Not the goober.” Miles admits. “I don’t like them not being here.” He takes a deep breath and looks up at the ceiling. “I mean, it’s stupid. They weren’t meant to stay, anyway.” 

Jefferson sighs and stands beside him, not touching but close enough. “It’s okay to miss them, you know.” he says quietly. “I mean, I kinda like them, too.”

Miles grins at him. “They do grow on you, don’t they? Especially Ham.”

“Yeah, if he doesn’t give me a headache, first.” Jefferson pauses, letting Miles laugh at his friend’s ridiculousness, before continuing. “On a more serious note, I need to talk to you about something.”

A pause. “Yeah?”

“Before the collider – you watched Aaron die, didn’t you? In that alley.”

He glances over at his son. The boy is shaking, jaw set and eyes wet with tears he’s refusing to let fall. That’s really all the answer Jefferson needs. He reaches over and pulls Miles against him. He doesn’t say anything, just tries to hold his son, who’s gone completely stiff in his arms.

“It’s my fault.”

Jefferson snorts. “I doubt that.”

“He wouldn’t kill me. So Fisk killed him.” Miles shrugs. “It’s my fault.”

Jefferson lets go of him enough to get a good look. The tears are almost gone, but there’s something in his face that cuts at Jefferson’s heart. Guilt. Shame. This isn’t going to go away easily. Maybe not ever. So he pulls back the rest of the way and moves to stand in front of Miles, putting on his serious cop face. 

“Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened, and I’ll decide if you’re to blame for it?”

Miles just stares at him. “Fisk told him to kill me. I saw Fisk kill Peter Parker in the tunnels. But when I showed him my face – he wouldn’t do it. He just put me down and backed away. And Fisk shot him for it.”

There’s a very long silence while Jefferson processes that. He thinks he might hear the sound of a portal opening behind him in the living room, but he ignores it in favor of his son. Miles’ gaze flickers from him to something behind him and back. Finally, he sighs.

“When I realized that Aaron was still involved in something, I made him promise me that he’d never bring that near you. As far as you were concerned, it didn’t exist. You know what he told me?” Miles shakes his head. “He said he’d rather kill himself than endanger you. Aaron lied to me about a lot, but not that.”

The tears from before are finally starting to fall, and Jefferson lets himself start to cry as well. “Aaron made his choices, and that included the choice to protect you. He would never blame you for his choices, alright? And neither do I. _Nothing of that was your fault_.”

Suddenly Miles is pressed against his chest, crying openly, small body shaking in Jefferson’s arms. Jefferson is crying too, just holding on to Miles as tight as he can, afraid to let go.

Behind them, Peter watches the exchange with a small smile on his face.

About time someone talked some sense into the kid.


End file.
